


Nightmares and Hot Chocolate

by Miss_Fallen



Category: Captain America - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Bucky Barnes Feels, Bucky Barnes Has Nightmares, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Nightmares, Protective Steve Rogers, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-10
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-18 00:08:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,117
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29974380
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miss_Fallen/pseuds/Miss_Fallen
Summary: Dreams are nice and sweet. They're from simpler times. But sometimes, dreams are nightmares. Nightmares that are cold and numbing.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers
Comments: 3
Kudos: 12





	Nightmares and Hot Chocolate

Dreams are always hit or miss with Bucky. Sometimes they left him feeling warm and safe. They remind him of times long past, when things were simpler, and they only had to worry about paying rent and keeping food on the table. Well, and keeping Steve alive through the winter. This dream isn’t one of those dreams. It sucks the warmth out of everything, leaving him as frozen as his old cryo-chamber. It left him numb, unable to change any of the events going on in front of him.

_ The Asset is staring at Steve in his old uniform. Around them, alarms are blaring, and they can hear the screams of injured and dying people. But that doesn’t matter — only the  _ mission _ matters. The Asset has never failed a mission, and that fact will not change. Not even the little voice in the back of Asset’s head will change that. _

_ The Asset fires his rounds at the Target before engaging in hand to hand. Target doesn’t seem to want to hurt the Asset. The Asset can use that. The Asset pulls out knife after knife, puts the Target into hold after hold in an attempt to put him down. None of it works. Target gets him in a chokehold, and it puts the Asset down for long enough that Target gets up to the chips. One gets switched out with a different one.  _

_ Part of the mission has Failed. But so long as the Asset can put down Target, it doesn’t matter overly much.  _

_ The Asset renewed efforts put three bullets in Target’s torso. These do not put down the Target. They tangle and fight around the now-collapsing helicarrier around them. The Asset gets trapped under a beam and struggles to get out. The Asset  _ must _ finish the mission. He has to!  _

_ Target doesn’t seem to want the Asset under the beam and lifts it off of him. But Tar-Ste-Target is injured and tired. The Asset can work past his pain and finish the mission - _ Not Ste- _. _

_ The face below him is getting familiar. He doesn’t know why - _ It’s Steve-.

_ “I’m with you till the end of the line.” _

_ He stops. That phrase is- he  _ knows _ it. Just as he  _ knows _ this person.  _ -It’s Steve! Stop it!-

_ The floor gives out, and Ta-Steve plummets into the water below. _

-Go after him! Save him!-

_ He dives after him. He dives after  _ Steve _. _

_ Getting to shore isn’t an easy task with three large helicarriers crashing around them. It takes too long. The mission doesn’t matter; he has to save Steve. But that saving is hard, the most challenging thing his body feels like it’s ever done.  _

_ Steve’s not breathing. _

_ He starts giving Steve chest compressions, blowing into his mouth to force the water out.  _ It’s not working _. He continues to do so, even after something breaks beneath his hands, even after the water has settled. He does it until the ribcage beneath him is little more than dust, and two people stand beside him — two people he never noticed. _

_ “He’s gone, Barnes.” the man says. _

_ “Nye- _ no. _ He’s not allowed. He’s beat worse.” Why does he know that? There’s nothing to back it up! _

_ “He’s dead.” The woman is cold and brutal, but not without feeling. _

_ “He-Steve-” His words are halting, caught in his chest and throat.  _

He should have died with Steve. There is no Bucky without Steve, no Steve without Bucky.

_ They both put a hand on his shoulder. He shoves them back, takes a knife and- _

Bucky shoots up from the bed with a heaving chest. That’s not the first nightmare he’s had like that, but it doesn’t make it any easier to process. He’s lost count of how many he’s had. When his brain was piecing itself back together, it featured behind his eyelids until it seared itself there. The burn has since faded, but the scars are still there.

He swings his legs over the side of the bed and moves to the kitchen, hot chocolate the most pressing thought for the time being. He doesn’t turn the lights on in their top-floor apartment in Brooklyn. He’s glad he’s in Brooklyn for the aftermath of the nightmare. When they were frequent, waking up in unfamiliar places was terrible, disorienting, and sent him spiraling for hours on end. Now he’s grounded in the familiar never-ending hustle and bustle and the, mostly, familiar smells. 

It’s not long before Steve joins him, always knowing when Bucky left the bed.

Hooking his chin over Bucky’s shoulder as he heats up milk, Steve hums, “Same one?”

“It’s not often something different nowadays.”

“Wish I could get rid of it.”

Bucky lets his head drop back onto Steve’s outrageously large shoulder, “Yeah. At least it’s getting less common.”

Steve hums again, reaching around Bucky to stir the heating milk while Bucky peaks to dump in the chocolate powder mix. The future has plenty of odd things, but hot chocolate made on the stove hasn’t changed in decades.

When it’s done, Steve shoos him off to the couch while he gets the mugs ready. Alpine’s waiting, looking to all the world like he should have pet her first. It’s cute, and he loves her. So he slumps down onto the couch so she can curl up on his lap like it’s all he’s good for. Steve gently sits down beside him and hands him a steaming mug. They sit quietly; the only sounds are from outside and the purring cat on Bucky’s lap.

It’s safe, known, and peaceful. It’s a life they never got to know, way back when. It’s nice. (Could do without the nightmares and trauma.)

When the mugs are empty and Bucky relaxed and sleepy, Steve takes the cups to put in the sink before returning to the adorably sleepy man and his cat. He loves them both so much, and he’s so very lucky to have gotten the chance to have them. He picks them both up, Bucky mumbling slightly in the shift and Alpine only moving to lift her head and glare at Steve in displeasure.

“If you didn’t want to move, you shouldn’t have gotten on his lap, princess.” She puffs in response and moves to lay next to Bucky’s head once Steve’s laid him down on the bed. 

Steve moves to the other side of the bed and slides in, pulling Bucky to his chest. He’s pretty warm, and Bucky hates the cold. He does too, but Bucky doesn’t run as warm as he does, so he’ll share. It is  _ not _ for selfish reasons in the slightest, no siree.

They fall asleep, safe and warm in their bed, in their  _ home _ . 

All is well.

**Author's Note:**

> This is for not only Bucky's birthday but also my discord friend B! Since she shares the day, she got to pick what I wrote, and that ended up being hurt/comfort. I hope I delivered! Happy birthday you two!


End file.
